Pre-Professional Programs

Address: 105 Foust Building
Phone: 336.334.5241

Details on Pre-Professional Programs

Programs:

  • Pre-Dentistry U209
  • Pre-Engineering U205
  • Pre-Law U207
  • Pre-Medicine U201
  • Pre-Occupational Therapy U206
  • Pre-Pharmacy U211
  • Pre-Physical Therapy U203
  • Pre-Veterinary Medicine U213

Pre-Professional Program in Dentistry

The Pre-Dentistry program consists of a core of academic work that must be completed prior to admission to dental school. These courses can be incorporated into almost any major at UNCG. Your choice of major does not significantly affect your probability of admission. You should consider any major which you find interesting and in which you feel you can do well academically. Some of the most commonly chosen majors include Biology, Chemistry or Biochemistry. The American Dental Education Association Web site offers current resources that you might find useful: www.adea.org

Contact: Dr. Robert Cannon
Chair of the Health Careers Advisory Committee and Professor of Biology
Phone: (336) 256-0071

Special Application Procedures

You should contact a member of the UNCG Health Careers Advisory Committee during your freshman year. The members will recommend appropriate course selections and later will advise you on the application process for dental school.

Academic Clubs and Organizations

There is a pre-dental student club at present. Most pre-dental students are also members of departmental honor societies, which they qualify for through their academic excellence. One example is Beta Beta Beta, the Biology Honor Society.

Graduates/Careers

Dental schools:

  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Howard University
  • New York University
  • Medical College of Virginia
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Kentucky

Careers:

  • Dentist, State of North Carolina
  • Endodontist, Beavers and Keating
  • Dentist, private practice

Pre-Professional Program in Engineering

UNCG offers an outstanding basis in pre-engineering studies taught in small classes in a supportive environment. Students begin with calculus and calculus-based introductory physics at UNCG and then transfer to an engineering program for the last two years of undergraduate studies. Students may complete their engineering degree at North Carolina State University, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC A&T State University, or other engineering programs.

Contact: Dr. Promod Pratap
Head, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Phone (336) 334-3214

Special Application Procedures

You should contact Dr. Pratap during your first semester on campus. Current advice from the faculty will be important as you apply to engineering schools.

Graduates/Careers

UNCG's program prepares students to attend any accredited any engineering school in the nation. Some recent graduates have gone on to careers such as:

  • Engineer, Allied Signal, Inc.
  • Applications Software Engineer, McDonnell Douglas Corporation
  • Branch Chief, NASA
  • President and CEO, IPC Information Systems
  • Senior Design Engineer, EMC Corporation
  • Senior Environmental Specialist, the State of New Jersey
  • Vice President, Oscom Communications
  • Senior Quality Engineer, Analog Device, Inc.

Pre-Professional Program in Law

UNCG provides access to a pre-law advisory committee who can help you design a comprehensive plan of study that will enable you to maximize your chances of gaining admission to any law school in the country. There is no pre-law major at UNCG. Law school admission committees do not require or suggest certain majors; however, regardless of your choice of major, they recommend that you choose a plan of study that helps you develop your abilities in three primary areas:

  • Effective writing and speaking skills
  • Logical and analytical thinking skills
  • Understanding of American institutions and values.

We encourage you to choose a major that you will enjoy and one that helps you develop these skills. You will do better in classes that you enjoy and your overall grade point average will increase. A high GPA, along with strong scores on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), will help you be admitted to the law school of your choice.

The Law School Admission Council Web site located at www.lsac.org provides useful information about law schools, the LSAT, and the admissions process.

Contact Information

Pre-Professional Program in Medicine

"Pre-Med" is a curriculum and not a major. The curriculum is composed of a core of academic courses that must be completed prior to admission to medical school. These courses can be incorporated into almost any major at UNCG, and your choice of major does not significantly affect your probability of admission. However, you should consider any major which you find interesting and in which you feel you can do well academically. The most popular majors among UNCG Pre-Med students include Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is generally taken during the spring or summer prior to submission of your application to medical school, at the end of the junior year.

UNCG's Health Careers Advisory Committee for pre-professional programs in medicine is comprised of faculty from the Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Psychology, Physics and Nutrition Departments, the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center, and the School of Health and Human Sciences.

Several Web sites offer current resources that you might find useful:

Contact: Dr. Robert Cannon
Chair of the Health Careers Advisory Committee and Professor of Biology
Phone: (336) 256-0071

Special Application Procedures

UNCG has experienced academic advisors who can help you plan your academic program and answer your questions about the various aspects of applying to medical school.

Graduates/Careers

Schools of Medicine in North Carolina:

  • Duke University
  • Wake Forest University
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University

More than 800 UNCG graduates have gone on to practice medicine in careers such as the following:

  • General/Vascular Surgeon, Forsyth Memorial Homecare
  • Gynecologic Oncologist, Southwest Regional Cancer Center
  • Neuroradiologist, Bowman Gray School of Medicine
  • Medical Director of Primary Care, Loyola University Medical Center
  • OB/GYN, ECU Women's Physicians
  • Pediatrician, Riverside Pediatric Center
  • Optometrist, Memphis Optical

Pre-Professional Program in Occupational Therapy

Four occupational therapy (OT) programs are currently available in North Carolina: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, East Carolina University, and Lenoir-Rhyne College offer the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.), and Winston-Salem State University offers a Master of Science (M.S.) in Occupational Therapy. Lenoir-Rhyne offers a Bachelor of Science in Human Occupation Studies as the OT prerequisite phase of earning a Master of Science in OT. East Carolina University also offers an accelerated program for highly qualified undergraduate students enrolled in the health services management program with the intention of preparing for a professional master's (entry-level) degree program in OT. Recent accreditation changes in occupational therapy now require that all students completing a degree in occupational therapy after January 1, 2007, must obtain the master's degree.

Pre-Professional Program in Pharmacy

UNCG offers a two-year Pre-Pharmacy curriculum that prepares students to transfer to any of the 73 schools of pharmacy in the United States. Students may also choose to pursue a regular academic major while completing the pre-pharmacy requirements.An excellent academic record at UNCG and strong scores on the Pharmacy College Admission Test, usually taken in the sophomore year, are required to be considered for admission to Pharmacy school. Once admitted, an additional three to four years are required to complete the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Contact: Dr. Robert B. Banks
Pharmacy Advisory Chair and Associate Professor of Chemistry
Phone: (336) 334-4606

Special Application Procedures

Please contact a member of the advisory committee during your freshman year. Current advice from the faculty will be important to you as you apply to pharmacy schools.

Student Opportunities

Though there are no formal internships for pre-pharmacy students, there are many opportunities on campus and in the Greensboro area for students to obtain health career experiences and to participate in volunteer activities during the academic year and during the summer. Pre-pharmacy students often work in local retail pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted care facilities, and many United Way agencies.

Graduates/Careers

Careers:

  • Pharmacist, Duke University
  • Pharmacy Technologist, US Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Pharmacist Manager, Maple Hill Pharmacy
  • Pharmacy Assistant, Lane Drugs
  • Pharmacy Technician, Revco Drug Stores, Inc.

Graduate and Professional Schools:

  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Campbell University
  • Wingate University

Pre-Professional Program in Physical Therapy

UNCG's program in pre-physical therapy prepares you for admission to programs throughout the United States. A complete listing of accredited programs is available from the American Physical Therapy Association, 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. This American Physical Therapy Association Web site offers helpful resources that you might find useful: www.apta.org.

Contact:
Dr. Robert Cannon
Chair of the Health Careers Advisory Committee and Professor of Biology
Phone: (336) 256-0071

Dr. Randy Schmitz
Exercise and Sport Science
Phone: (336) 334-3031

Special Application Procedures

Please contact a member of the advisory committee during your freshman year. The members will recommend appropriate course selections and later will advise you on the application process for physical therapy schools.

Student Opportunities

Though there are no formal internships for pre-physical therapy students, there are many opportunities on campus and in the Greensboro area for you to obtain health career experiences and to volunteer. You may work or volunteer in the local hospitals, nursing homes, assisted care facilities, physical therapy clinics, and many United Way agencies.

Graduates/Careers

Careers:

At last count, more than 80 UNCG graduates have gone on to study physical therapy. Career examples include:

  • Physical Therapist, American Therapy Services
  • Physical Therapist, NovaCare, Inc.
  • Physical therapist, Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation

Graduate Schools:

  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Duke University
  • East Carolina University
  • Western Carolina University
  • Elon University
  • Winston-Salem State University

Pre-Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine

The program consists of academic work that must be completed prior to admission to veterinary medical school. These courses can be incorporated into almost any major at UNCG. Your choice of major does not significantly affect your probability of admission. You should consider any major which you find interesting and in which you feel you can do well academically. Some of the more commonly chosen majors include Biology, Chemistry or Biochemistry.

Several Web sites offer current resources that you might find useful:

Contact: Dr. Robert Cannon
Chair of the Health Careers Advisory Committee and Professor of Biology
Phone: (336) 256-0071

Special Application Procedures

You should contact a member of the UNCG Advisory Committee during your freshman year. The members will recommend appropriate course selections, and later will advise you on the application process for veterinary school.

Career experience through internships

There are no formal internships for pre-veterinary students, although there are many opportunities in the Greensboro area for students to obtain veterinary career experiences and to participate in various volunteer activities during the academic year and during the summer. Pre-veterinary students often work in the local veterinary hospitals and the emergency veterinary clinic.

Careers and Graduate Schools

Graduate Schools:

  • College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University
  • University of Georgia
  • Tuskegee Institute
  • University of Colorado

Careers:

  • Small and large veterinary practices
  • Specialty practices: The Cat Clinic, Greensboro, NC
  • Pharmaceutical research laboratories
  • Biological research laboratories
  • University research laboratories
  • Military veterinarian

 

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